British Columbians are being warned to check before harvesting shellfish this summer because contaminated shellfish can cause serious and potentially life-threatening illness.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control says microorganisms occur naturally in coastal waters, especially as temperatures rise during the warmer months, and can accumulate in shellfish.
Harmful toxins are most often found in mussels, clams, oysters, scallops and crab, but cockles, whelks, prawns, squid and other species that feed on plankton can also be affected.
The centre says eating contaminated shellfish can lead to serious illness, including paralytic shellfish poisoning, amnesic shellfish poisoning and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning.
It says shellfish contaminated with these toxins cannot be made safe by cooking.
Symptoms can begin within minutes to hours after eating contaminated shellfish, but may also appear up to 24 to 48 hours later.
Anyone who experiences numbness or tingling that spreads beyond the lips and mouth, increasing weakness, or difficulty walking or swallowing after eating shellfish should go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.
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For diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramping after eating shellfish, people are advised to call the Drug and Poison Information Centre at 1-800-567-8911, HealthLink BC at 811, or see a health-care provider.
The BCCDC advises residents to check its shellfish harvesting map for open and closed sites on the day they plan to harvest, and to harvest on a receding tide.
It also recommends keeping harvested shellfish in a chilled cooler to prevent bacteria from growing.
The centre says people should only eat cooked shellfish to reduce the risk of illness from viruses and bacteria, but notes cooking does not destroy shellfish toxins.
People are also advised not to cook crabs whole. The BCCDC says crabs should be split first and the gut contents removed before boiling.
The centre also recommends separating raw and cooked seafood, keeping cooking areas clean, sanitizing knives and cutting boards, and washing hands before and after preparing food.
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